President calls for centre of excellence in every varsity

Expressing concern over the declining standards of higher education, President Pranab Mukherjee Saturday called for identifying at least one department in each university that could be made a centre of excellence.

"It is possible to revive the lost glory of our higher education system and take at least a few of our universities into the global top league," Mukherjee said, while inaugurating the Maharaja Agrasen University at Kalujhanda, near here, in Solan district.

"But for that", he said, "we have to make innovative changes in the way our institutes of higher learning are administered, and education in them rendered. We must allow adequate flexibility in different aspects of academic management."

Advocating the need to instil a culture of excellence in them, he said every university should identify at least one department that could be made into a centre of excellence.

The president said: "The evolving demographic profile of India, with two-third of its population expected to be in the working age group by 2025, presents before us an opportunity for greater development.

"This demographic dividend is for our taking, but for that, our youth must be qualified and trained to participate in national progress."

Maharaja Agrasen University has been established by the Maharaja Agrasen Technical Education Society.